A Robbers Redemption
by The Old Bastard
Summary: Long after the fighting has concluded, Ruby is sent to tie up one last loose end. It was a job that could have gone so many ways... she just never expected it to end up like this.


**A ROBBERS REDEMPTION**

* * *

Ruby Rose hated going outside the kingdom, but this time she would make an exception. She hadn't even hesitated to accept when Ozpin had put the offer in front of her; this was more important to her than any single Grimm threat could be. Both her team and Team JNPR had wanted to come along, told her it wasn't safe to go alone, but she had refused their help. This was something she needed to do on her own... this was the last loose end.

She stood in front of an immense mansion, a bit overgrown but otherwise lovely. Large ornate windows, panes colored with different kinds of dust, seemed to be a popular theme on this building; if she remember correctly, Weiss had once told her that kind of architecture was common before the War. For him to be able to afford such an extravagant, and no doubt unbelievably expensive, estate spoke volumes of how successful he had been.

It filled Ruby with a strange sort of envy, not for the material value, but for the kind of freedom he must have had during his time. They may have been on opposite sides of the law, but one small change could have easily place them in reversed roles. Then he would be out here, standing in front of this house, while she was inside waiting for him.

Ah, but alas, time was short and she needed to get this over with. Dwelling on what could have been was pointless, especially when she preferred the life she led now. With one swift motion, her hand flew out and gave a single, resounding knock on the red painted double doors.

She waited for only a second before a strikingly beautiful girl, one with the oddest combination of pink and brown hair, slowly opened the door. The two looked at each other for a long moment. Neither looked all that surprised, but neither knew what the other was going to do. Neo and Ruby had been at odds for quite some time, fought against each other for nearly almost five years before it was all brought crashing down.

"Ah, Red! I was wondering when you'd come to find me! Well, get inside, would you? It must be freezing out there!"

The familiar voice brought the two out of their staring contest and to the attention of an impressively dressed man with fiery orange hair and a fairly dapper cane. He waved an hand, beckoning for her to come inside. Neo and Ruby shared a single look before the former stepped aside and allowed her entry, to which Ruby uttered a quiet _'thank you.'_

The years had obviously been kind to Roman Torchwick.

Between the mansion and the fact that he'd be able to retain his good looks, he certainly wasn't lacking in many departments, other than the general moral depravity and zero understanding of cause and effect relationships. At least, as far as Ruby knew. Inviting ones enemy into your home wasn't exactly the plan a criminal mastermind would think up.

Though, to his credit, neither of them attacked on sight. If anything, Torchwick actually seemed genuinely happy to see her. Ruby never thought she'd seen such a wide smile on anyone, excluding Yang. If she was being honest, it was slightly frightening.

They didn't speak a word as he led her to what seemed to be a lounge/bar area towards the back of the mansion. It was well furnished, everything undoubtedly expensive but not giving an 'over-the-top' kind of vibe. He gestured for her to sit down in one of the four large, comfy looking chairs surrounding a smaller coffee table, which she accepted gratefully. The journey had been long and hard, so a bit of relaxation would be welcome, even if it was given by one she used to call enemy. Walking over to a rounded counter at the far left corner of the room, he knelt down and started to rummage through what she assumed was the bar.

"You want a drink, Red? We got Kotsifali Wine from Mistral, AW 05, or some good Vacuoian Whiskey if you aren't feeling the fancy stuff. Really, we got just about every poison you could want."

Ruby raised a brow, not only at his civil gesture, but at his stash of vintage drinks. If she remembered correctly, his gang had been part of a cargo robbery that had contained some particularly valuable alchaholic beverages. Without even glancing back, he answered her unspoken question, as if reading her mind.

"Oh, come on, Red! I promise they aren't illegal... most of them. Junior still comes by every now and then to restock us. The only thing here left from my illegal stores is something I've been saving... ah, fuck it. I suppose if you're here it can't get more special of an evening."

Roman reached deeper into the cabinet, bringing out an old looking bottle of _something._ The label had become faded from the many years of handing. Roman just grinned at her.

"Atlesian Vodka, the best in the world. We both know why you're here, Red; you might as well enjoy this one last drink with me, even if it wasn't legally obtained."

Ruby once again raised a brow. "What am I here for, Roman? As far as I know, neither of us have made a move."

Roman only smirked as he sat across from her, puling out two shot glasses from some unknown drawer and pouring them each a glass. "I was the best criminal Vale has ever seen, sweetheart, so give me a little credit. Ozpin sent you, right?"

Ruby, feeling that lying would have been pointless, gave him a jerky nod. "Yes."

"And he sent you to deal with me, right? Can't take any more chances, after all!"

"...Yes."

"Well then, I guess we're at an impasse! I'm certainly not going to fight you, nor am I going to get Neo to do it for me. Not that it matters; you're not going to kill me."

This made Ruby start a little bit, physically jerking back before her eyes began to burn with a vindictive light. "If I were you, Roman, I wouldn't be so sure."

The criminal just chuckled at her bravado. "Oum, I remember you when you were just a little girl. You were sweet and innocent back then, just wanted to run around and stop the bad guy. What ever happened to you, Red?"

" _War_." She snarled, her hand twitching closer and closer to the currently compact Crescent Rose. "You, and Cinder, and _war_."

Roman made a ' _tsk-tsk'_ sound before taking a shot of his drink. His green eyes seemed to pierce Ruby as he looked at her. "You know, Red, sometimes I really miss the good ol' days. I fight you, you fight me, I get foiled and the whole cycle starts all over again."

Ruby didn't speak for a minute. It was becoming clear to her that Roman meant what he said - this wasn't a battle he was going to fight. It confused her; Roman had never shown any remorse for what he'd done, and his demeanor now screamed of indifference rather than forgiveness. Could he be so empty inside that he failed to even see the threat of death as anything more than a passing game? Ruby didn't know... if she was being honest, she didn't want to. To find out the intentions of Roman Torchwick would make him seem human, and in her line of work, the enemy could never be seen as human.

So why was she bringing her own glass to her lips rather than ending him then and there? Swallowing all of the fiery liquid in a single gulp, she set her own gaze back onto Roman. For now, she supposed it didn't matter. She was tired, very, very tired. Chatting for a while couldn't have hurt.

"I miss those days too. Things were simpler back then, weren't they?"

Roman chuckled at that, pouring them both another glass.

"Yeah, the certainly were, Red. Though I'll admit that when I first met you, I wasn't exactly thinkING that five years later you'd be the girl I was having drinks with."

"Oh? And what were you thinking, Torchwick?" Ruby asked, a bit of her old curiosity leaking back into her voice.

"I was thinking _'how in the hell is a five foot girl in a skirt swinging around that fuck-all weed whacker?'_ Seriously, where did you learn to use that thing? More importantly, how were you able to swing it? No offense, Red, but you don't exactly look like you could handle something twice the size of your own body."

Ruby snorted, this time taking a smaller sip of her drink as she relaxed further into the plush chair.

"I get asked that way more often than I should."

"Trade secret then?" Roman asked, taking a sip of his own as he curiously eyed the huntress.

"Something like that. My uncle is the one who taught me how to use it."

Roman arched his brow, as if surprised by the answer.

"Really? Huh. Guess I should have expected that. Qrow always was a vicious bastard with that thing."

Ruby nearly spat out her drink.

"What?! You knew my uncle?"

"Knew him?" Roman gave her a wry smirk, the look on his face giving the impression that he knew something she didn't. "Your uncle and I were friends long before I ever met you."

Ruby just continued to stare dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond. This was certainly news to her.

"How is that even possible? I mean, he's a Hunter and you're- you- you're the most wanted criminal in Vale! It doesn't make sense!"

"Wait, did you really think I grew up robbing bands and holding up dust shops? You never wondered how I acquired my skills? I don't mean to toot my own horn here, Red, but I'm not exactly a novice fighter."

Ruby shifted in her seat, visibly uncomfortable. "Maybe."

Roman gave her an exasperated sigh. "Of course you didn't. It doesn't really surprise me that none of them ever told you about me - I'm probably a touchy subject for them. No, before I was a criminal I went to Beacon. I was an aspiring Hunter."

The hooded girl stayed silent, finding that her curiosity was growing with each word he spoke. This _certainly_ hadn't been where he expected this meeting to go.

"We all did, actually. Both Cinder and I were on a team with Ozpin and Ironwood, about... god, has it really been almost twenty-five years? Time flies, I guess. Ozpin introduced me to Qrow and his team. I knew your father, mother, and your sisters father as well."

Ruby continued to stare wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded by his explanation. Roman, who had long since abandoned the grin for a saddening, nostalgic look, took her silence as a chance to continue.

"That was the happiest time of my life, you know. Being with them, learning how to fight and doing good in the world... I wasn't always like this, Red. I never wanted to be a criminal. In fact, I was once probably a lot like you - young, foolish, desperately wanting to prove that I could be more than just an urban street rat."

"Wh- what changed then? If you didn't want this life, why pursue it? If you really knew my uncle and dad, then you know they would have helped you with whatever happened!" Ruby was unaware of it, but her voice had risen to a near shout. This was wrong, _all of this was wrong._ Torchwick was the enemy. Torchwick wasn't supposed to be sympathetic!

Roman just smiled at her naivety. She may have been twenty, but Roman was over twice her age. A lot can happen in that amount of time, more than someone like her could yet know. Still, after all he told her he supposed she at least deserved a better answer. Or maybe he just couldn't stop himself at this point

"Life is a complicated thing, Red, a lot more complicated than those fairy tales you read make it out to be. I... lost someone very close to me. Someone I cared for very deeply. For many years, I wallowed in my own misery over it, continued to blamed myself. Then one day, I thought I discovered something, something that had been kept from me for years. When I did, I spiraled down even further."

The look on his face told Ruby that this was no longer about her. This wasn't a story he was telling for her benefit. Rather, the look on his face told her that he was relieving something painful, something horribly painful. It tore at her heart to see anyone like this, even an enemy, but she forced herself not to look away. This was something he had to do.

"I became hell bent on revenge. Abandoned by team, nearly killed one of them in the process. I turned to..." he gestured around the room "this. I did things that I'll always regret, Red, thing that I'll never be able to take back. And you want to know the worst part? I was so, _so_ wrong. Everything I did was in vain."

The pain on his face had now reached his voice, tearing at his throat and making it raw. He looked as if he'd just been beaten, like he was going to curl up into the fetal position any second now.

Ruby still said nothing.

"I'm a monster, Red." He said, looking away from her and closing his eyes. He shed no tears, but that was only because he was forcing himself not to, not to appear so weak. He'd been doing this for a long time, and Ruby could tell. "I'm a monster, and I sold my soul to a monster. I deserve to die."

Then something unexpected happened, something that surprised them both more than anything else could have.

Ruby got up, took a single step forward, and embraced Roman in a tight hug.

Perhaps it was the alcohol. Perhaps it was the fact that she could hear the genuine pain in his voice, that her gut was telling that what he said was true. Perhaps it was because, no matter what he thought, she understood better than anyone else the kind of pain that burden brought. Whatever it was, she felt it was the right thing to do.

At first, Roman was too shocked to react. This was the _last_ thing he expected to happen today. Ruby Rose, attempting to comfort him... no one would have ever guessed. After a few shocked seconds he wrapped his arms around her as well, hesitant at first but soon clinging to her as if his life depended on it. Now he did cry, letting tears that the had kept bottled up for years flow freely. Soon, Ruby joined with him, crying for different reasons but sharing in his pain nonetheless.

They stayed in that position for a long, long time.

* * *

Eventually the crying stopped and the two finally unwrapped themselves, wiping their eyes of any evidence they may have left behind. They both stood, looking towards the other in silence.

"Well, that was a thing." Ruby said, shuffling her feet around. This day was just getting stranger and stranger.

Roman let out a small chuckle at that, for the first time seeming genuine.

"Yes, that it was, Red. So, what do we do now? I'm still a wanted criminal and you're still a huntress; no amount of bonding time is going to change that."

Ruby nodded slowly, unsure of what to do. Now that she knew what had happened to him, the moment they shared, she knew that killing him was out of the question. Still, leaving him here didn't sit well with her either. He was right, after all; he was still a criminal, and still had done horrible things.

Then, she had an idea. Something that she knew could work so long as she played it off right. She smiled at him widely, ignoring the questioning look he gave her.

"Why don't you come with me? If everything you just told me is true, which I believe it is, then Ozpin and Ironwood would forgive you! You wouldn't have to be here alone anymore."

Roman's questioning look quickly turned to one of disbelief and shock. Talk to them? The idea wasn't a new one, but after everything he'd done... he had always told himself that no amount of words would allow him to atone for his sins. No amount of pleading and begging would convince them. After what had just happened with Red, however, he suddenly found himself questioning whether or not that was true.

Still, five years was a long time to etch an idea into someone's mind. That part of him wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Red, I've been on the run for so many years years. I don't think talking is going to solve what's between us. Too much bad blood for that now."

"You'd be surprised how deep friendships can go, Roman. Even after everything you've done, I'd bet they'd still listen to you." Ruby quickly checked the time, finding that she had been gone for far to long without a check up. The others were probably worried sick.

"Listen, I've got to go. I know you think it's been too long, but trust me, it's never to late to make amends. If you change your mind..."

Ruby quickly took out a pen from her pocket, walked over to the counter and wrote a phone number on one of the napkins. She smiled to herself, folding up the napkin and laying the pen right next to it. She turned, giving Roman a kind look.

"Call that number. I think it'll help."

Roman simply nodded, unsure of how to react to her kindness. He had a few remaining people, yes, but none that had ever shown him this level of kindness. Certainly none that had ever reassured him he had a second chance.

"Thank you, Red. For everything. And to think that just yesterday we hated each others guts. Funny how life works out sometimes, eh?"

"It's a lot more complicated than they make it out to be in the story books." Ruby said, giggling a little. Roman laughed along with her. Strolling forwards, he put a hand on her shoulder and gestured down the hallway.

"Come on, Red. You need to get going. Don't want to worry everyone, do you?"

"My name isn't Red."

Roman, just about to start walking, shifted his gaze to looked at her. She had a soft smile on her face, one that he hadn't ever seen before. It was contagious, and only made him smile in return.

"Sorry, Ruby."

* * *

Ruby stood outside the mansion, once again into the blistering cold. Her cloak billowed around her as the icy winds became more intense. She didn't care; her mind was on far different topics. Reaching inside her jacket once more, she pulled out her scroll. Sifting through my many names in her contact list, she finally settled on the one she had been looking for. Pressing the name, her scroll vibrated for a second before the face of a kindly, silver-haired man with round spectacles appeared before her.

Ozpin usually looked as if he hadn't aged since the day she met him, but between the grimace and the dark circles under his eyes he seemed to have aged fifteen years.

 _"Ms. Rose. I'm assuming you're calling to tell me you've completed your mission."_

Ruby looked back at him, her lips spreading into a sly smile that starkly contrasted his own look. As she expected, he raised an eyebrow at her perceived happiness.

"Uh, something like that, Professor..."

* * *

Roman walked back into his lounge, sitting in one of the many barstools as he laid his head on the counter in front of him and closed his eyes. To say that the day had been strange would have been an understatement. No, not an understatement: it was a god-damn enigma. He knew Ruby would have been coming, of course. He still had spies everywhere, even if he'd given up his criminal enterprise long ago. But he'd been expecting a lot more threats and bloodshed, not crying and talks of atonement.

He sighed. He truly had never wanted to become this, this person he was. All he ever wanted to do was protect his friends, protect those he loved... even if he sometimes was an asshole doing it. Losing _her_ had broken him, broken him into a billion tiny pieces. He had healed over the past few years, but it wasn't until Ruby came that, for the first time in a long time, he felt hope.

Opening his eyes, he found the same pen and napkin that Ruby had used. Sitting up straight, he grabbed the paper and open it carefully. Just as she said, a number was written in large, bold lettering. Underneath were three simple words.

 ** _An old friend..._**

Roman sighed, cradling his head in his hand. He could already feel a migraine coming on. He had to be crazy, had to be completely off his rocker to even be considering this idiocy... yet he found himself reaching for his scroll all the same. The temptation to hear his friend one more time... to maybe, just maybe be forgiven.

There was nothing in this life he could have wanted more.

With shaking hands, he slowly typed out the number and held the scroll in front of him. Within a few seconds, a face appeared. It took a few seconds, but the face slowly began to give him a look of abject shock. Roman just grinned as all the things he could have said came back to him.

Of course, he settled on the one that had to make him the biggest asshole on the face of Remnant.

"Come on, close your mouth already! Glynda always did say that you didn't have two brain cells to rub together, but you could at least _look like_ you're trying to prove her wrong."

* * *

"Ruby... what do you mean?"

Ozpin looked absolutely terrible. He had gotten no sleep the night before, and had locked himself inside his office all day. Even when Glynda came, using his coffee mug as bribe for him to open the door, he stayed secluded. After all, how could he face anyone now? He had just sentenced one of his former teammates, a friend, to what would likely be death.

Not of his own volition, of course: the Vale Council had forced him under threat of dismantling Beacon and arresting him and James for questioning. The two of them had stalled them for years now, but this new mandate had forced his hand. Even then, he still tried to save his former friend.

Ruby had been his last chance. He thought maybe, _maybe_ she would have spared him. The look she was giving him now, however... Ruby never enjoyed killing, but Roman had been her enemy for many years. Thinking she wouldn't be happy with his death would have been foolish. The last bit of his hope was crushed at that realization. He didn't even want to hear what she had to say, even if she didn't blame the poor girl for her convictions.

All he could hope now was that he didn't suffer.

 _"Well, Professor, I-"_

Anther call began to buzz on his personal scroll, coming from an unknown number. Ozpin once again raised his brow in curiosity, wanting to take the call but knowing that he still had to debrief Ruby. The younger girl, however, seemed to have plans of her own.

 _"You should probably take that, Professor. I'm heading back to Beacon now anyway, and I think that call may be important."_

Ozpin gave Ruby a look of unintentional gratitude before nodding and hastily cutting off the message. Picking up his own scroll, he dejectedly pressed the 'accept call' button.

The face of Roman Torchwick, the man he just thought dead, appeared in front of him not a moment later. And he was bloody _smiling_ at him.

So many emotions ran through his head at once: happiness, regret, guilt, anger, sadness... the list didn't end. Nothing could have prepared him this moment, no matter how much Ruby had hinted at it before now. All the times he thought about having this conversation, all the things he could have said, flew out his mind in that second. Instead he just looked in shocked silence, unaware that his jaw had dropped.

 _"Come on, close your mouth already! Glynda always did say that you didn't have two brain cells to rub together, but you could at least look like you're trying to prove her wrong."_

Despite his shocked state, Ozpin couldn't help but snort with laughter. That snort lead to a hysterical fit of giggles between the two, both of them laughing madly. Laughing like they used too, harder than they ever had before.

After several minutes, the laughter finally died down, both wiping tears from their eyes. Not even time could erode the bond they shared. Nothing could have dissolved a friendship so deeply set. He could only imagine how Ironwood would react when he told him.

"Oum, Roman, it's good to see you again..."

Suddenly, the light in Roman's eyes changed from jovial to guilt-ridden. This time, real tears began to fall from his eyes, splashing on an unknown surface. Unknown to Ozpin, he was doing the same.

 _"Ozpin, I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry for everything, I'm so sorry-"_

"No, no, it's OK, Roman. It's alright. Everything is going to be fine. Everything is going to be just fine." Ozpin said, his voice cracking slightly at the sight of his old friend breaking down. He wished he were there right now, to pull the man into a brotherly embrace, like the ones they used to share.

 _"Oz, I don't know how I can make up for what I've done."_ Ozpin opened his mouth to say something in response, but Roman cut him off before he could. _"No, let me finish! I know that I can't make up for what I've done. I've hurt so many people, not just you and Iron... but I want to try. I want to fix this. Please. Please give me a chance."_

Ozpin smiled at his friends words. It was what he'd been hoping to hear for ten years. "I'm always going to give you a chance, Roman. You're my best friend. Nothing would ever change that."

Roman nodded, gratitude pouring from his every cell. Quickly, he typed something onto his own scroll and a pair of coordinates popped up on Ozpin's screen. Roman looked back at his friend once again.

 _"Bring Ironwood, and Glynda, and everyone else too. I need to tell them in person. We need to make up for lost time."_

Ozpin grinned wider than he had in years.

"I think they'd like that more than anything else in the world."

* * *

 **Ta-da! Just a little plot bunny that popped into my head a few weeks ago. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!**

 **If you want to find out what happened between Roman, Ozpin, Ironwood and Cinder all those years ago, go check out The Sting of Reality, my ongoing story depicting the events of these four during their years at Beacon Academy!** **If you liked this, then you love all of the action, romance, and laughs you'll get from the original piece!**

 **Thank you, and don't forget to favorite and review if you liked this one-shot! You're support is invaluable to me!**

* * *

 **s/11278191/1/The-Sting-of-Reality**


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